Cupboard



E, A. LUST CUPBOARD Dec. 26, '1.9.67

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 29, .1965

Decn 2s, 1967 vENUM 3,360,320

CUPBOARD Filed Dec. 29, 1965 5 sheets-sheet 2 'Figa E. A. LUST CUPBOARD Deen '26, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 29, 1965 United States Patent C M 3,360,320 CUPBQARD Ernst Adam Lust, Industriestrasse 13-15,

Lampertheim, Hesse, Germany v Filed Dec. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 517,282 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 31, 1964, t

L 49,638 6 Claims. (Cl. 312-257) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A cupboard at the vertical edges of which are provided vertical posts which support loads transmitted =by the walls, floors, top and various fittings andso yforth, the posts being connecte-d to one another to form a dimensionally stable frame with horizontal hatten-like spaces being provided between the posts. The spaces are provided with endwise disposed bores and span rods are located in these bores and include threaded ends which en-' gage in an internal thread provided in the posts so that the aforesaid spaces are supported -between the posts.

The present invention relates to cupboards which term is intended to include single and multiple enclosed storage spaces, with or without internal fittings, wardrobes, clothes hanging compartments and the like.

According to the present invention, there is provided a cupboard comprising a rigid l-oad bearing frame and load free outerfacing means suspended from said frame, said frame comprising a plurality of vertical posts threadedly apertured, and defining the vertical limits of the vertical faces of the cupboard and horizontally elongated spacing means, said spacing :means being in the form of threaded rods engaging in said threadedly apertured posts completing said frame and rendering it rigid and stable in three dimensions.

The present invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to one form of cupboard according to the present invention as illustrated in the acco-mpanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of one form of cupboard according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view, on an enlarged scale, of the sectional shape of the posts and/or battens of the cupboard of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a view, on an enlarged scale, showing the connection, at position III in FIG. 1, of two horizontal spacers to one another and to the associated vertical post;

FIGS. 4, 4a and 4b are views showing a device providing vertical adjustment for each post of the cupboard of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view in section on line V-V of FIG. 1, showing how the lateral space between the cupboard and an adjacent wall can be masked; and FIG. 5a is a view, on an enlarged scale, of the corresponding part of the cupboard of FIG. 1.

A cupboard according to the invention has a bearing frame at its front and a bearing frame at its back wall, each such frame taking the form of vertical posts 1 and horizontal spacers 2. The posts and the top spacers extend along the cupboard edges, and the bottom spacers form the edges of the actual body of the cupboard, i.e., of the cupboard interior. The vertical posts, as well as bearing the cupboard walls and top, also Ibear any shelves (not shown) inside the cupboard and any other fittings (not shown) in the cupboard such as clothes support rods and so on. Side walls 3, shown in broken line, a partition 4 between two cupboard compartments, rear walls 5, and the cupboard -base and top are received in longitudinal grooves in the posts. FIG. 2 shows one appropriate shape for the 3,360,320 Patented Dec. 26, 1967 ICC posts and spacers in this connection. The section rod used is :basically rectangular in cross-section and is formed with rectangular grooves 6 along its two relatively long sides near the edges. The adjacent relatively short side 1s formed near the edges with dove-tail grooves 7. The grooves 6 receive the relatively thin rear walls 5 of .the various cupboard sectionsvThe grooves 7 can recelve, for instance, sealing strips (not shown) to keep dust out. That narrow side of the section member which is remote from the grooves 7 is formed with one central groove 8 of relatively large internal width and with two narrower lateral grooves 9. The grooves 9 receive the top panels of the side walls 3 and partitions 4. Consequently, panels having surfaces of a hard material with a softer lling between them are used as side walls. The soft filling can ex tend into the central groove 8. Three webs 10 extend into the center of the section member and serve as guides for a threaded guide rod 11 shown in broken lineand referred to hereinafter.

The two long sides of the cross section (see FIG. 2) are formed, at equal intervals, with bores 12 disposed coaxially at right angles to the grooves 6. The bores 12 on one side register exactly with the bores 12 of the other side in the vertical and lateral position. The bores 12 are adapted to receive pegs for bearing shelves, clothes hanger rods and the like. As FIG. 1 shows, a common sup port peg can be pushed through the bores 12 in the posts 1 and serve to secure support bars 13, 14 in the two sections of the cupboard. The support bars 13, 14 also strengthen the bearing structure of the cupboard. BoresI 15 for receiving hinge pins` are disposed between the grooves 7. The bars 13, 14 can take the form of stirrupshaped members of round steel which need not have any static load-bearing or strengthening function and which` can serve to guide ydrawers or to support shelves or the like. The various grooves and bores can be used for func? tions :other than those descri-bed.

The spacers 2 take the form of battens or the like whose shape matches the posts, the threaded rods 11 extending into the interior of the battens with support by the webs. Those ends of the rods 11 which extend beyond the :battens 2 are screwed into internal threads of the ver? tical posts which are accordingly formed with bores to receive threaded bushes 16. Two adjacent rods 11 are' screwed one into each end of bush 16 (see FIG. 3), so that the posts and spacers cooperate to form a continuous support frame. At one end the bush 16 has a unitary liange 17 which engages in a matching recess in the posts. On the opposite side of the bush-receiving bore in the post there is a corresponding recess adapted to receive a washer or shim 18. On one side the bush 16 has a weakened portion (Imbus shape) 16a.

To enable the Various posts to be vertically adjusted, each of the posts at the front of the cupboard is connected to the corresponding post of the rear wall by means of a horizontal cross-member 19 which interconnects the bottom ends of the posts. The crossdmember 19 is secured to the post by means of pegs or screws which are inserted into the bores 12. Vertical nuts 20 (see FIGS. 4, 4a and 4b) adapted to receive threaded fasteners 21 are disposed on the cross-member 19 close to the posts. The threaded fasteners 21 transmit the load of the cupboard to the base surface, e.g. the oor, and the height of each post can be adjusted by means of the screws or the like 21. The cross-member 19 is an angle-section member whose horizontal arm engages below the cupboard side wall 3. The cross-member 19 also serves as a o cordingly, the cross-members 19, 19a, can be identical to the top and bottom frame members and spacers 2 disposed, respectively, on the cupboard front and back ends on the cupboard wall, i.e., the cross-members 19, 19a can take the form of battens having mounted in them threaded rods enabling the front frame part and rear frame part of the cupboard or cupboard wall to be secured together to form a three-dimensionally stable or rigid fra-me.

The bottom closure at the front of the cupboard is formed by the Vertical arm of an L-shaped base section member 22 which overlaps the bottom part of the cupboard front. The threaded pins 21 of the front posts rest on the horizontal arm of the member 22 to locate the same.

Any lateral gap or space which remains between the cupboard and a nearby wall can be covered by lateral masking 23. As the cross-section through such masking in FIG. shows, the masking mainly comprises two partly overlapping panels 24, 25. The panel 25 has on its outer longitudinal edge a web 27 merging at its end into a flange 28 which extends parallel to the panel 25. The flange 28 is connected substantially at its center to the web 27. Through the agency of the outer half of the flange 28 and of the rib 28a parallel thereto, the panel 25 is clamped in a groove 6 in the post 1. The panel 24 also has a web 29 cooperating at one end with a flange 30 to form a T.

The outer arm of the flange 30 is retained in a groove in a batten 31 secured to a wall 32. The web 29 is remote from the lateral edge of the panel 24 by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the hatten 31, so that the panel 24 extends as far as a masonry wall 32. Those portions of the flanges 30, 28 which extend towards one another cooperate with the webs 29, 27 to bound a groove receiving springs 33 which tend to force the webs 29, 27 apart from one another. The springs 33 force the webs flush against the post and against the batten 31. The springs 33 take the form of spring steel strips bent to the shape of a rhombus with two opposite corners of one diagonal bearing each against one web 27, 29. To guide the rear of the two panels, a guide panel 34 is disposed on the web of the other panel parallel thereto and at a distance corresponding to the thickness of the rear panel to be guided. If required, individual guide arms can be used instead of the guide panel 34. Thus the invention relates to a cupboard, wall cupboard, wardrobe or the like in one or more sections. According to a main feature of the invention, vertical posts are disposed on and possibly between the four vertical edges of the each board or wall section, are adapted to receive the loads transmitted by the walls, floors, top and all the fittings and are connected to one another and to the posts of the adjacent cupboard or wall sections, to form a dimensionally stable frame, by horizontal rod-like or hatten-like spacers in the form of threaded rods adapted to be screwed, through the agency of threads at their ends, into corresponding internal threadings of the posts.

Securing the posts in this Way by means of the threaded rods forming the spacers or frame members ensures that the resulting cupboard is absolutely stationary and that the cupboard or a cupboard wal-l can be constructed as a self-supporting unit to partition two spaces without, as necessary for the known cupboard walls, requiring any complicated securing to the ceiling of the storey and which, statically considered, serves in every way as a solid room partition. If the Wall panel of the cupboard or cupboard walls and its side connections, all of which are unit construction items, are constructed accordingly, the necessary or required sound-damping or lire-inhibiting properties of a room partition can be obtained.

The cupboard or cupboard wall according to the invention mainly comprises panels or rods which are simple to produce individually and to join together. Since the wall llings and the base of the cupboard or cupboard wall are not load-bearing, loads being borne exclusively by the three-dimensionally static frame or dividing fra-me, the Wall fillings can be relatively thin. Since they do not have to be formed with holes for fittings nor have to receive fixing elements to support interior parts of the cupboards-such parts being provided on the three-dimensional frarne structurethe wall fillings can be produced rapidly and simply. Since the bearing posts are of simple construction, the various cupboard or wall components can be manufactured economically, and the components can be assembled into a finished cupboard or cupboard Wall in situ. One particular advantage of the cupboard or cupboard wall according to the invention is that from the various cupboard components any number of cupboard or wall sections can be built up one beside another, only two extra posts being required to provide an extra section while a further two posts and a partition are saved.

Preferably, in the cupboard or cupboard wall according to the invention, the internal rod-receiving threadings of the posts take the form of threaded bushes so received in corresponding horizontal bores in the posts as to be non-displaceable lengthwise. In this event the thread need not lbe cut directly in the post material; instead, the post is formed just with a bore-Which is simple to producefor the threaded bush-which is simple to produce on its own too. The threaded rods of adjacent sections are coaxial of one another, and every two adjacent threaded rods are connected to one another by a common threaded bush or a common threaded bore in the associated post. The threaded rods of the various compartments are then connected through the vertical posts to form a single run or the like. Advantageously, the threaded rods can be disposed inside battens, and only those ends of such rods which are screwed into the threads of the posts project beyond the batten ends. Conveniently, the spacers thus formed form the horizontal edges of the cupboard body. The cupboard holders (sic) then guide or limit the cupboard walls or cupboard top on their horizontal edges.

To reduce the cost of manufacture, storage and assembly, the battens in whose interior the threaded rods extend have the same shape as the post. Such lbatten, which is preferably of rectangular or square cross-section, is formed on its four longest sides with grooves to receive the side edges of panels or sealing strips or the like and is formed on at least one of its longest sides with bores for the mounting or shelving or the like. Equidistant bores can be disposed, along a straight line parallel to the edges of the section members, on two opposite sides thereof.

Conveniently, each post can be adjusted in height. To this end, every two posts, preferably the two posts associated with the connection of another section or compartment, can be interconnected at their bottom ends by a horizontal cross-member comprising at a reduced distance from the posts vertical internally threaded members adapted to receive threaded pins taking the load of the cupboard or cupboard compartment or section. Consequently, all the posts can then he so aligned vertically on uneven places that the threaded pins form horizontal straight lines. The threaded pins and more particularly the connecting threadings are therefore not bent, and appearance is improved.

Conveniently, the bottom closure of the front cupboard wall is formed by the ve-rtical arm of an L-shaped base section member, such arm overlapping the bottom part of the cupboard front. Conveniently, the threaded pins of the front posts rest on the horizontal arm of the base section member to locate the same.

The cupboard according to the invention is very Well suited to have its various compartments extending substantially over the whole width of a room wall or even to forma room wall or to be erected in niches as a builtin cupboard. Two panels or the like which overlap one another to a variable width are provided to mask any gap left between the cupboard or cupboard wall and the adjacent wall or ceiling, one such panel being inserted in a groove in the cupboard post and the other panel being inserted in a groove in the wall. Conveniently, at least one spring acts on the panels and tends to increase the width over which the panels overlap one another. The outer longitudinal edges of the panels are then pressed flush into their receiving grooves. Conveniently, each of the two panels has, on or near the long edge near the cupboard or wall, a web which extends perpendicularly to the panel and which merges T-fashion into a flange parallel to the panel, such ange engaging in the groove in the post or wall and also forming an abutment for each spring.

I claim:

1. A cupboard comprising at least one compartment with four vertical edges, vertical posts at said edges and adapted to receive loads, horizontal hatten-like spacers by which said posts are connected to one another to form a dimensionally stable frame, said spacers being provided with bores, span rods in the bores of the spacers, said span rods including threaded ends, and means including internal threads in the posts for engaging said threaded ends so that the spacers are supported between the posts.

2. A cupboard according to claim 1, wherein said means are threaded bushes iixedly received in corresponding horizontal bores provided in the posts.

3. A cupboard according to claim 2 comprising a compartment adjacent the iirst said compartment and including threaded span rods coaxial with selected rods of the iirst said compartment, the coaxial span rods being connected to one another by said means.

4. A -cupboard of claim 1, further including post height adjusting means comprising cross-bar means interconnecting the bottoms of pairs of said posts, and interacting threaded pin means and sleeve means, one of said interacting means being rigidly mounted on said cross-bar means adjacent said posts, the other of said interaction means bearing on the floor.

5. A cupboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein each post is provided with a line of evenly spaced bores along at least one vertical face thereof.

6. A- cupboard as claimed in claim 1 further including lateral masking means mounted on said frame as a lateral extension thereof, said lateral masking means comprising a single leafed panel and a double leafed panel, said panels being interleaved, said panels including free ends turned through a right angle to constitute right angled webs, a T-section strip being mounted along the end off said right angled web, and spring means engaging both said right angled strips to urge said panels apart, one of said T-section strips engaging said frame and the other being adapted for engaging a supporting wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,838,355 6/1958 Crowther 312-257 2,956,705 10/ 1960 Clingman 312-257 3,034,844 5/1962 Anderson et al. S12-257 3,170,742 2/1965 Berkowitz 312-257 X 3,178,244 4/1965 Reiss et al. 312-257 3,197,822 8/1965 Herrschaft 312-257 X 3,224,823 12/1965 Schulze 312-257 X JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CUPBOARD COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE COMPARTMENT WITH FOUR VERTICAL EDGES, VERTICAL POSTS AT SAID EDGES AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE LOADS, HORIZONTAL BATTEN-LIKE SPACERS BY WHICH SAID POSTS ARE CONNECTED TO ONE ANOTHER TO FORM A DIMENSIONALLY STABLE FRAME, SAID SPACERS BEING PROVIDED WITH BORES, SPAN RODS IN THE BORES OF THE SPACERS, SAID SPAN RODS INCLUDING THREADED ENDS, AND MEANS INCLUDING INTERNAL THREADS IN THE POSTE FOR ENGAGING SAID THREADED ENDS SO THAT THE SPACERS ARE SUPPORTED BETWEEN THE POSTS. 